Brookmans Park is only in the green belt because it is part of the Metropolitan Green Belt around London. Other green belt areas are Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Newcastle, Oxford, Cambridge, York etc. The common theme here is that the green belt acts as a collar around these cities to restrict them from expanding into the countryside. Green belt purposes also restrict neighbouring towns within that ring of green belt from merging with each other (Welwyn Garden City, Hatfield, St. Albans etc).

With the exception of “encroachment into the countryside” it would be hard to argue that any of the other green belt purposes that you list would be harmed by “a few hundred houses around Brookmans Park” when weighed against the housing need in the borough. Furthermore, “encroachment into the countryside" (which is essentially a landscape assessment) would be a valid consideration for any planning authority, whether or not the land to be developed was in the green belt. Your blanket approach that green field sites (of which there are none in the borough) are more suitable for development than green belt sites is therefore too simplistic. The greatest need for new homes is in the areas around the cities, so development in the green belt is a much wider national issue. Are you suggesting that Welwyn Hatfield Borough and all other Counties within the green belt (around London, Manchester, Birmingham etc) should all be exempt from meeting their need for new homes, or just Brookmans Park?

Correct, the Green Belt prevents neighbouring towns from merging together. This is achieved by having bits of Green Belt between them. If you build on the bits of Green Belt they are not Green Belt anymore Hatfield is currently separated from Potters Bar by bits of Green Belt. Since the Metropolitan Green Belt was created, South Hatfield and Welham Green have moved inextricably closer together, almost within touching distance. So we are left with the bits of Green between Welham Green and Brookmans Park and Brookmans Park and Potters Bar. Potters Bar is curently undertaking its own Local Plan and will also have to expand. Recently a Solar Farm adjoining the north of Potters Bar has been granted planning permission which will stretch to the RVC playing fields in Hawkshead Lane. So, yes the bits of Green Belt that are now left are incredibly important in preventing neighbouring towns merging together. A few hundred houses around Welham Green, A few hundred houses around Brookmans Park, A few hundred houses around Little Heath. Where do YOU draw the line. Do you wait until there is no Green Belt left, or do you build on some more and just leave a tiny bit?Remember, many of the various Green Belt sites around this area have had development proposals before. They have all been successfully rejected, sometimes by a judge. It is only because of the Green Belt and the concerted efforts of previous generations to protect it that we are having this discussion now, otherwise Brookmans Park would have been part of London long ago.

In a previous post you commented how successful the Green Belt was between Mill Hill and Borehamwood. It would not be quite so successful if it had houses on it, would it?

Welwyn Hatfield Council has not stated that it needs to build at least 10,000 homes - the figure is actually higher, between 12,616 and 13,433.

The simple truth is that we don't know how many homes we need given the various influxes - like EU migrants and refugees (both of which are potentially unlimited by treaty).

The situation with voluntary EU migration is further complicated as we could embark on an expensive house and associated infrastructure building programme (on the Green Belt and brownfield sites) only for there to be a drastic fall in Sterling for some reason (as there was when the Northern Rock crisis triggered a run) and many EU nationals will wake up to the fact that they can earn more in the Eurozone and be closer to their home countries to boot, and upsticks and leave (us with the bill).

Hello -I've registered as a Little Heath resident in Hertsmere following the Little Heath Action Group's item in the latest "Potters Bar Community News" about WH's proposed housing development just north of Little Heath. However, the Group's website as mentioned therein doesn't seem to be working (and googling doesn't help), so I'm using this suggested alternative. How do I join the Group please to keep tabs on the housing development and voice my objection whenever the consultation period dates are announced?

Note I have an interest beyond the personal - I am on the PPG Committee of the Annandale Medical Centre in Potters Bar (on the High Street), and the Centre is already stretched to the limit (whilst still providing a first class service to its patients! - as recognised in the recent National GP survey).

It was good to hear from Jed Griffiths, the planning consultant advising the North Mymms Green Belt Society, that in his opinion following meetings with the WHC, there would not be any new housing development on the field at the junction of Bradmore Lane and Station Road, the far side of the bridge by the railway station.

He was speaking at the AGM of the NMGBS in the church on Monday evening.

This site might have had up to 380 houses on it and the traffic from it would have caused the most awfulproblems for the residents of Water End - a proposed Conservation Area - and as Jed Griffiths said, Water End already has terrible flood issues without the possible water run off from a field covered in concrete.

I was also at the NMDGBS AGM on 21 March and heard what Jed Griffiths said. My interpretation of what was ACTUALLY said is as follows:

1) Whilst speaking about the principles of planning in the Green Belt, Mr Griffiths stated (as an example) that in his opinion he "would be very surprised if BrP4 were included in the Final Draft of the Local Plan". He did not state that this observation was following meetings with WHBC. Indeed it is important to note that at the present time, WHBC have not yet made their decisions on which sites to recommend to take forward for allocation in the Local Plan. As Jed Griffiths also pointed out, we are extremely unlikely to hear about these sites until shortly before the Public Consultation in the Summer (June/July).

2) It is also important to note that although BrP4 has the potential to exacerbate flooding at Water End, ALL the sites around Welham Green, Brookmans Park and Potters Bar have the potential to exacerbate flooding at Water End because they ALL ultimately drain into the Mimmshall Brook - see map below. Jed Griffiths made this very point about the cumulative flood risk of the various sites to Water End.

It is good to know people are scrutinising the very peculiar site selection process of WHC and ACTUALLY taking minutes at meetings, however I think you will find that Jed Griffiths said 'BrP4 will never happen,' and as his meetings with WHC were before he made his comment at the NMDGBS meeting then his observation was following meetings with WHC.

It appears you are well aware of the flood risk to Water End and so are WHC who stated in their Housing Background Paper Part 2 Distribution Options September 2012 prepared by the Council's own planning officers in respect of BrP4: "THE AREA TO THE WEST OF THE RAILWAY LINE IS NOT CONSIDERED SUITABLE TO TAKE FORWARD AS A VILLAGE EXTENSION.(BrP4)"

However by October 2014 it was, for reasons unknown, slipped into the mix as 'Finely Balanced.' ? ? ?

Another totally unsuitable site that the WHC have designated as 'Finely Balanced' is WGC5.

This is an old landfill site that Tarmac are promoting as Birchall Garden Village for over two thousand new homes. I am sure most people are aware of the health risks of living next to a landfill site but maybe notthe WHC. An inquest is scheduled for June into the death of 7yr old Zane Gbangbola who lived next to a landfill site at Chertsey,Surrey. His parents have spent two years compiling a mountain of evidence which they say proves their son was killed by hydrogen cyanide gas seeping into their home from contaminatedfloodwater coming from a former landfill site near their house. The father is now in a wheelchair.

To stop this madness before Brp4 and WGC5 are put forward in the Local Plan in July contact your local councillors.

Motherchuck, would you say that all the proposed sites in Brookmans Park would have an adverse impact on the possible flooding in the area, or are there some sites that have been proposed that would have no impact whatsoever?David

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BrP4 was actually not considered suitable because of the following: "The area to the west would be separated from the rest of the village by the railway and only accessible via a narrow road over a bridge on a tight bend. The landscape in this area has been assessed as having medium to high sensitivity to change and low capacity to accommodate new development. Development to the west of the railway line would result in urban encroachment into the countryside and have a significant impact on openness. Development on this scale would represent major growth, disproportionate to the size of the existing village"

There are two sources of water flowing to Water End and the Swallow Holes, which is a unique Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Firstly, there is the normal river flow along the Raybrook (to the south of Brookmans Park) and the Mimmshall Brook (to the south of Welham Green). The water flows from east to west. Both of these brooks are classed as rivers in Flood Zone 3 by the Environment Agency. Secondly, there is surface water (rainwater) which flows from the land into the Raybrook and into Mimmshall Brook at times of heavy rain. It is heavy rainfall (surface water) entering the two rivers which causes flash flooding in Water End.

The closer the site is to Water End the greater and the faster the impact of surface water flooding. BrP4, to the west of the East Coast Mainline Railway, is inundated with surface water during the winter months and, due to the underlying clay, heavy rain flows directly into the Raybrook, causing flooding.

Sites to the east of the ECML will not cause direct flooding in Water End because (1) the elevated railway embankment acts as a physical barrier (attenuation) and (2) there is a greater opportunity for ground absorption and evaporation due to distance.

Time, distance and attenuation to the water flow are all crucial to reducing flooding. In York, following the dreadful floods this winter, the farmers are now building “leaky dams” along the route of the rivers towards the City. These are some distance upstream from York City Centre and they have the effect of attenuating the flow of water towards the City at times of heavy rain. By slowing the flow, the river will be able to cope better with the more local rainwater and reduce the likelihood of flooding in the City.

Oliver Dowden MP drawing attention to the issues linked to the proposed developments of the Welwyn Hatfield Councils Local Plan around Brookmans Park and Little Heath. This supports our submission in the Consultation period last year

I attended the meeting last night where the Local plan was discussed by the Council.

The Council agreed to take forward the outline plan which has been published (on their website).There was much concern about the high numbers of houses required and the effects on the infrastructure around the area!

Residents will have the opportunity to make their comments in the new Consultation period which is expected to run from the end of August to the end of October.

You can keep up to date with issues and information by joining our group. Its Free - Just send your email address and house number and postcode to

The latest Local Plan Newsletter has been sent out by Welwyn Hatfield Council. (I am posting this in both the Brookmans Park and Little Heath Local Plan threads for those who have asked for notifications of updates.)

The latest Local Plan Newsletter has been sent out by Welwyn Hatfield Council. (I am posting this in both the Brookmans Park and Little Heath Local Plan threads for those who have asked for notifications of updates.)

The council has just circulated what has been described as a "Local Plan Consultation Special" newsletter for August, embedded below. It includes the consultation timetable with a number of dates which people might like to copy to their diaries. The meeting for this area is to be held on Tuesday 6 September at the URC on Bluebridge Road between 15.30 and 19.30. I am copying this to both local plan threads because people may have notifications turned on for the specific threads.

The council has just circulated what has been described as a "Local Plan Consultation Special" newsletter for August, embedded below. It includes the consultation timetable with a number of dates which people might like to copy to their diaries. The meeting for this area is to be held on Tuesday 6 September at the URC on Bluebridge Road between 15.30 and 19.30. I am copying this to both local plan threads because people may have notifications turned on for the specific threads.

For those of you who may have lost their way in the complicated Local Plan process, I have detailed below the sites in North Mymms that are in the Local Plan document referred to in the Council leaflet above.

Please note that just to confuse things the Council have now changed the site identities. Below are listed both old and new prefixes.

The above sites are the only North Mymms sites now included in the Local Plan.

HOWEVER:

All the Welham Green sites are considered suitable but have not been put forward because of limited Primary School capacity and because an alternative site has not been identified to deliver an expanded school.Two of the site promotors are currently working together and are in discussion with the Council to address this issue and it is possible that following this Public Consultation the Council could decide to make changes and additions and re-consult before submitting the Plan to an Inspector for Public Examination.

Similarly in Brookmans Park development has been capped to approx 250 dwellings because of limited capacity to expand the Primary School. Once again the site promotors of sites that are considered suitable are seeking to resolve this issue with the Council.